Confidence, Comparison, and the ASPIRE Success Club

Christi Hegstad November 25th, 2018

One of the things I love most about the women of the ASPIRE Success Club:

They each aspire to live their absolute best lives *and* they want the same for their fellow members.

There is no comparison or envy or feeling ‘less than’ – only encouragement and support and a continuous ‘how can I help?’ As member Amy said, “Even with many members, there is so much trust in ASPIRE. I can share my truest self, always knowing I will never be judged – only supported and encouraged.”

ENROLLMENT CLOSES THIS FRIDAY – come join us for a year of unprecedented growth, inspiration, and confidence! Click here for details and feel free to contact me with any questions. I would love to support you throughout 2019!

Content With The Present, Or Striving For Growth?

Christi Hegstad November 19th, 2018

Kaizen = continuous improvement.

How are you growing and improving each day?

That question is sometimes met with resistance: “Shouldn’t I be content with who and where I am?”

Absolutely!

And know that you can simultaneously be happy, content, and grateful and want to continue growing.

Inspired Action:

This week, revel in where you are and how far you’ve come.

And commit to continuing on your path of growth.

Honor the fact that you can do both at the same time.

Rest if you need to, take a break if you need to. But lay a foundation for the future – such as enrolling in the ASPIRE Success Club or securing a coach for 2019 – to ensure you keep moving in your most purposeful, growth-oriented direction.

“Life took on a more positive outlook after investing in myself through ASPIRE!” wrote an ASPIRE member recently. ENROLLMENT CLOSES NEXT WEEK! Set yourself up for the entire year – join us in the ASPIRE Success Club!

38 Simple Actions For World Kindness Day – and Every Day

Christi Hegstad November 13th, 2018

Hop on Facebook for any length of time and you’ll quickly realize that every day is a holiday of some sort. Today we celebrate one of my favorites: World Kindness Day!

I spent part of the day feeling like a literary Santa Claus as I restocked some Little Free Libraries around town. How will you celebrate today? And how about tomorrow, and the day after that?

Below you’ll find a few dozen ideas to get you started. Please add your ideas here or on Instagram – the more ideas we have to choose from, the better!

1. Drop off canned goods to your local food pantry.

2. Thank, specifically and sincerely, your cashier, barista, or service provider.

3. Send a pre-paid grocery card to someone who lost his job.

4. Hold the door open for the people behind you. Stand there an extra five minutes if needed.

5. Leave an appreciative comment on someone’s uplifting social media post.

6. Return your grocery cart to the rack.

7. Leave May-Day-like baskets on your neighbors’ front porches.

8. Bring an article of clothing to your closest Dress For Success (click here for our Des Moines affiliate). Tuck an extra $10 in the pocket if you can.

9. Send a ‘thinking of you’ text to a friend you haven’t seen in a while.

10. Learn your family members’ love languages and make an effort to practice them.

11. Leave a higher tip than usual.

12. Send an email to the boss of someone who gave you exemplary service.

13. Go above and beyond for someone. Underpromise, overdeliver.

14. Handwrite a thank you card to someone not expecting it.

15. Compliment someone standing next to you in line.

16. Share books via Little Free Library or your regular library.

17. Donate personal items to a shelter for people recreating their lives after trauma. Consider bringing your donations in a beautiful gift bag.

18. Clip an article highlighting a local businessperson from your newspaper and send it to her with a ‘great job’ note.

19. Ask someone his best tip for something he does really well (cutting hair, leading others, parenting, looking on the bright side, photographing pets, choosing the perfect gift…).

20. Bring coffee, bagels, or an unexpected treat to your coworkers.

21. Make eye contact with, smile at, or send silent blessings to everyone you encounter today.

22. Leave change in a vending machine.

23. Choose a nonprofit and donate a bit of time, talent, or treasure.

24. Share someone’s inspiring social media post, giving them credit and kudos.

25. Make someone feel like the most important person in the room.

26. Thank someone in uniform (military, firefighter, nurse, first responder, police officer, pilot…).

27. Avoid gossip and negative chatter the entire day. Change the subject if it arises.

28. Pet some fluffy friends at your local animal shelter or pet store.

29. Add to an expired parking meter.

30. Write a letter to the editor / guest opinion to your local paper or business journal complimenting someone or shining a light on something positive.

31. Send an email to a teacher thanking them for pouring so much of themselves into our future: our youth.

32. Thank a child for her kindness, effort, or care.

33. Look online at current needs for a nearby shelter (often warm socks, winter gear, underclothes) and drop some off.

34. Tell someone you love him.

35. Forgive someone.

36. Forgive yourself.

37. Remind yourself how amazing, worthwhile, and valuable you are. You deserve kindness, too.

38. Make a list of kind ideas and share it.

Add your thoughts! Share this list! Do whatever you can to make today – and every day – overflowing with kindness.

Goal Setting And Achieving: It’s Not About The Goal, It’s About THIS

Christi Hegstad November 12th, 2018

Coaching Tip:

It’s probably no secret that I really enjoy goals. When set properly and purposefully, they can energize, inspire, provide an incredible sense of focus, and make a difference in the lives of many.

And like I often tell my coaching clients, some who also love goals and some who, prior to our work together, were not what you might call ‘goal enthusiasts’:

It’s not about the goal.

It’s about who you become in the process.

When you set a Bold Goal, you become more bold.

When you set a goal that scares you a bit, you become more courageous.

And when you set a purposeful goal, you engage, live, and work with greater purpose.

Inspired Action:

This week, as you look at your goal(s), ask yourself one question:

Why did I set this goal?

Reconnect with why it’s important to you. Revisit how achieving the goal will feel. Refresh your memory about how you don’t want this year to be a repeat of the last – you want to be able to say something about yourself on Dec 31 that you previously couldn’t.

Remember your why. It’s likely your biggest motivator!

Join our email community here and receive a free mini-training, 5 Tips For Purposeful Goal-Setting, later this week! And don’t forget enrollment to the 2019 ASPIRE Success Club closes soon – learn more and join today!

Dr. Christi’s 3 Favorite Books of 2018

Christi Hegstad November 8th, 2018

If you’re a book nerd like me, you’ve probably anxiously awaited this annual list! 🙂 Even if you’re not, I trust you will find something useful for yourself, your employees, or others in your circle.

I know we have several weeks remaining in 2018, which means I may still read something equally amazing (Brene Brown’s Dare To Lead is just sitting on my desk, begging for my attention…). But I am sharing this list now because my December newsletter will provide you with a tool to help you gear up for a positive, purposeful 2019. If any more books rise to the top between now and December 31, I promise to update you on Instagram!

My newsletter subscribers received info about my top 7 books of the year, and this post shares 3 of them (sign up here so you always get the bonus info, too!). As always, these are books I’ve read in 2018 – not necessarily that were published this year. Also, this makes up my nonfiction list; I will share my favorite fiction books of the year on Instagram soon, too.

OK, let’s dive in!

1. Grit by Angela Duckworth

If you think your success depends on talent, IQ, or circumstances, you mustread this book. A phenomenal, evidence-based look at the power of grit – a combination of passion and perseverance – and how we can leverage, enhance, and develop more grit where it matters most. Duckworth provides numerous stories and examples of grit in business, leadership, parenting, passion projects, and so much more. One of my colleagues rereads this book every year and I can see why – it is paradigm-shifting!

2. The Desire Map by Danielle LaPorte

While I’ve read other LaPorte books, none has impacted me nearly as much as this one. A unique, refreshing, sometimes counterintuitive way to approach goals, she shines the light on aspects we may never have considered – especially if our experience has been along the traditional, SMART-goal type of path. A great resource for those looking for a fluid, intuitive way toward a fulfilling work and life experience.

3. Soulful Simplicity by Courtney Carver

I have read countless books on simplifying, decluttering, minimalizing, and the like, so when I picked up this book earlier this year I was not expecting anything new or awe-inspiring. Let me just say Carver completely surprised me. She dives into simplicity in such approachable, meaningful ways with lessons that can be applied at work, in our families, in our personal lives, and beyond. So heartwarming, purposeful, and practical!

Simplicity Legacy Carver Quote Book Coffee

We plan to discuss topics from these books and more in the 2019 ASPIRE Success Club! Enrollment will close before my next monthly newsletter comes out, so if you are interested be sure to enroll ASAP!

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Which of these books will you check out? Let me know if you do – it makes my literacy-advocate heart happy to hear! Share your thoughts – as well as additional book recommendations – on the blog, Instagram, or Facebook! Obsessive readers will thank you for adding to our must-read lists. 🙂

Join the 2019 ASPIRE Success Club before enrollment closes! Details here. Newsletter subscribers learned about my top 7 books of the year – if you want to make sure you don’t miss out on similar bonus info, subscribe here.

To add another 40 or so books to your must-read list, check out my favorites from past years, too:

25 Intentional Minutes of Focus

Christi Hegstad November 5th, 2018

Coaching Tip:

Have you ever set a timer for 25 minutes, shut down all distractions (phone, email, social media notifications, etc), and focused on one singular project?

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If yes, have you been amazed at what you accomplished in that short period of focused time?

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We may not have the luxury of doing this all day, every day. However, we tend to have a greater opportunity for focus than we think.

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Inspired Action:

This week, experiment with intentional periods of focus.

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Close your door or head to a private conference room with only one project in front of you. Decide what you intend to accomplish during this time (ie, complete the project, or reach a certain milestone).

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Set a timer for 25 minutes, take a deep breath, and go.

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In our distracted age, this may require some practice – so don’t worry if your mind wanders during this time. The more you engage in this, the more you will train your mind for focus!

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Enrollment to the 2019 ASPIRE Success Club is now open – and already filling up! As long as you have a computer or phone, you can participate from anywhere. Find out more here.

Peak Performance: Consistently Great, or Great At Being Consistent?

Christi Hegstad October 29th, 2018

Coaching Tip:

If you could see my rough drafts sometimes, you would surely wonder how I’ve ever gotten my work published in some of the places I have.

My writing is not the greatest every day.

But every day, I write.

And some of those days, I edit. I polish. And then I submit the edited, polished piece to a magazine or publisher.

It’s not about perfection every day. It’s about showing up every day.

Inspired Action:

This week, take a daily consistent action.

Decide what’s worth showing up for. What is your top goal? What can you do every day to move that goal forward?

Then, do it. Don’t be writer and editor all at the same time. Allow yourself to be imperfect yet consistent, then bring out the polishing cloth when it’s time.

I believe most of success in any form is simply showing up and consistently doing the work! Give that a try this week.

Enrollment to the 2019 ASPIRE Success Club opens on Thursday! Join our email community for the early announcement and a special subscriber-only savings.

5 Books For Goal Achievers (And Those Who Want To Be!)

Christi Hegstad October 23rd, 2018

Whether you find goals motivating and focusing or restricting and pressure-filled, they likely play a role in your life in some form. Personally, I have been a fan since childhood and often wonder how (if?) I would get anything done without setting goals!

For example, I can tell myself I want to run every day – but until I sign myself up for a race or identify the number of miles I want to run in a month, that ‘idea’ keeps me company while I do pretty much anything but run. With the power of goals, however, I have run two half-marathons, a marathon, and several other shorter races – things I certainly don’t believe I would have done without first creating goals.

Goals, of course, play a significant role in my coaching work as well. Here are some of the goal-related books I often return to and/or recommend to clients that you may find helpful, too:

The Compound Effect by Darren Hardy

This quick read offers great examples of how small steps, performed consistently over time, lead to big results. Instead of relying on willpower, which research shows us is in limited supply, Hardy makes the case for setting goals and realizing that the tiny, conscious decisions we make in favor of them each day can eventually, like minor adjustments to a plane in flight, change the trajectory of our lives. Very practical with numerous examples in business, relationships, finances, and health.

Succeed by Heidi Grant Halvorson, Ph.D.

When it comes to goals, I consider Dr. Halvorson among the masters. This book is supported by sound research and written in a very applicable and entertaining way. Although I have researched goals extensively throughout my education and career, Halvorson’s book is one of the few (and, in my opinion, the best I’ve found so far) to include helpful insights on when to view obstacles as tests of persistence vs. signals that it may be time to let go of that goal. With a forward written by Dr. Carol Dweck (author of Mindset and another mentor-from-afar of mine), you know it’s going to be a worthwhile read!

Write It Down, Make It Happen by Henriette Anne Klauser, Ph.D.

I love the simplicity of focus with this book: If you write down your goals, you’re more likely to achieve them. You may wonder how an entire book stems from that premise, but Dr. Klauser elaborates beautifully with how to generate goal ideas, ways to write them so they inspire and affirm rather than prompt dread or guilt, ways to stay committed, and the importance of engaging your whole being into goal creation rather than just setting slight increases from last year or, even less motivating, going by ‘shoulds.’ Useful, practical, and motivating.

Goals! by Brian Tracy

Tracy, a prolific author with over 70 titles to his name, is known for offering simple, pragmatic, and useful tips. From identifying and removing roadblocks to surrounding yourself with the right people to reviewing and visualizing your goals frequently, he shares suggestions that you can implement immediately. I also appreciate his emphasis on linking goals to the bigger picture: “Goals give you that sense of meaning and purpose, a clear sense of direction,” Tracy writes. “Goals enable you to instill meaning and purpose into everything you do.”

The Power of Less by Leo Babauta

Though mostly a book about minimalism, when I read this for the first time nearly ten years ago, I really resonated with the chapters on simplifying goals, tasks, routines, and time. Babauta’s own story is quite compelling: He has used his methodology to quit smoking, start running and complete triathlons, eliminate debt, lose 40+ pounds, quit his job and work from home, and simplify life with his family (he’s a married father of six). From what I have seen of his more recent writing, his practices have changed quite a bit over the years, but I still flip through this gem for a quick motivational boost.

Another goal-setting book appeared on my radar a few months ago and will be included in the newsletter I mentioned above; in addition, it is one of our 2019 ASPIRE Success Club picks (which will be revealed next week)!

Have you read any of these? What is one of your favorite goal-related books? Share below or on Instagram or Facebook!

Enrollment to the 2019 ASPIRE Success Club opens soon! Join our email community for the early announcement and a special subscriber-only savings!

The One Word That Stalls Our Big Dreams and Bold Goals

Christi Hegstad October 22nd, 2018

Coaching Tip:

This time of year, my Big Dreams, Bold Goals! training session is in high demand. I’ve facilitated incredibly talented groups – from physical therapists to bankers to nonprofit directors and more – in expanding their sense of possibility while learning the strategies and tools to make those ideas become reality.

One of the biggest challenges with dreams, I have found, is our tendency to talk ourselves out of them before we’ve even given them a chance.

Our faces light up as we imagine promotions or philanthropic ideas or travel possibilities … and then become heavy as we immediately ask, “But how would I ever make that happen?”

Inspired Action:

This week, allow yourself to dream – without wondering about the ‘how’.

What would you love to do, see, experience, create, or try if you had no barriers? If you didn’t have to worry about time or money or responsibilities?

Play with the ‘what’ this week, giving no thought to the ‘how.’ See what arises for you and maybe even takes you by surprise.

For this week, live with a sense of possibility. We can figure out the ‘how’ later.

We are currently taking inspired action to achieve meaningful, Bold Goals in the ASPIRE Success Club. Wish you could join us? Your opportunity starts next week – subscribe here to be among the first to hear!

Being A Positivity Role Model

Christi Hegstad October 18th, 2018

A few important truths:

You can simultaneously be a positive person *and* experience outrage, anger, sadness, or grief. That’s not antithetical; it’s being human.

You can disagree with people *without* disrespecting them.

We have so many examples of goodness in the world – many of them our youth who are stepping forward and leading the way.

In my latest Business Record article, ‘Something Must Be Done’ vs Doing Something, I wrote about some things that have had me feeling every emotion in the book lately. I also share 3 practical steps – and a link to 35 more – that you can take when you feel like something must be done but you’re not sure what. I hope it inspires your positive action.

Together, we can create a kinder, stronger, more respectful world for all. Who’s in?

Enrollment to the 2019 ASPIRE Success Club opens soon! Join our email community for the early announcement and a special subscriber-only savings!

Category Archives: Uncategorized

Inspired Action:

Coaching Tip:

Inspired Action:

1. Grit by Angela Duckworth

2. The Desire Map by Danielle LaPorte

3. Soulful Simplicity by Courtney Carver

Coaching Tip:

Inspired Action:

The Compound Effect by Darren Hardy

Succeed by Heidi Grant Halvorson, Ph.D.

Write It Down, Make It Happen by Henriette Anne Klauser, Ph.D.

Goals! by Brian Tracy

The Power of Less by Leo Babauta